Newsflash. CNet Says "Audiophilia a Dying Sector"

[kexodusc]

Well, why not, everything else around here's going to hell in a hand basket.

http://news.cnet.com/8301-10784_3-99...?tag=nefd.lede

I don't think it's a permanent trend though. I believe that eventually Generation Ipod will hunger for something "better" when and if they ever settle down and want to hear what music was/is supposed to sound like.

Da Worfster

Don't think they're telling us the whole story though - I know more people with competent home theater systems that replaced mini-systems or those cheap old Emerson/Yorx type stereo systems. And they're way better off for it. While hi-fi might be dying, home theater is still trooping on. The lowest common denominator is a lot better now than the lowest-common denominator was 10 or 20 years ago. Maybe not what it was at it's high point in the 70's but oh well.
Whether we call it a stereo or home theater is mostly irrelevant.

Besides, the article implies that iPod is directly responsible for the declining fortunes of MacIntosh. That's ridiciulous - I bet we could count on 1 hand the number of humans who were or would be potential Mac owners and gave it up for an iPod. If you could afford a Mac amp and even knew the brand name, chances are you had both anyway.
Now I could believe the modern computer/home theater combo and iPod are killing the mini-system and budget all-in one Emerson stereo system to some degree, but it's not putting MacIntosh and Snell out of business.

What happened in the 1980's when the Walkman took the world by storm? This can't be a new trend...

[Ajani]

Now I could believe the modern computer/home theater combo and iPod are killing the mini-system and budget all-in one Emerson stereo system to some degree, but it's not putting MacIntosh and Snell out of business.

Yep... according to the article, shelf systems are down 40%... which wouldn't suprise me... given that brands like Panasonic no longer even have mini-systems on their website (just a few models of micro-systems)...

To combat the effect of Ipods and cheap docks, I notice that the latest generation of mini-systems from Philips and Sony are shockingly advanced... they have internal hardrives and are able to access the music on your computer wirelessly... Now If only the major audiophile brands would follow...